Slot-closing device.



J. B. JONES.

SLOT CLOSING DEVICE.

,APPLIGATION FILED OGT.26,1910.

1,037,681 Patented Sept. 3,1912.

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JOHN B. JONES, 0F CONNEAU'I, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ON""-FOURTH T0 ELI A. MILLER AND ONE-FOURTH TO ALBERT W. JOHNSTON, BOTH 0F CZEVELAN'D, OHIO.

snor-onosrno zonvron Specification of Letters retest.

Patented dept. 3, 1%]12.

Application filed Qctcber 26, 1910. Serial No. 589,129.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known-that 1, JOHN B. Jones, a citizen of the United States, residing at Conneaut, in the county of Ashtabula and State of Ohio, 'have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Slot-Closing Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and effective means for automati cally closing a slot through which a member moves.

The invention is especially well adapted for combination with a lever which projects through and operates in a slot, as, for en'- ample, the reverse lever of a locomotive, levers on automobiles, etc.

My invention provides a device carried by the floor or wall through which the lever, or other movable member projects, automatically closing the slotin front of and at the rear of such member, so that, Whichever way it moves, the slot on both sides thereof is kept closed.

To this end, the invention comprises a series of superimposed closing plates arranged to overlap shingle-wise, and having corresponding overlapping recesses which the movable member occu ies, whereby the plates will be successive y engaged and collected by the member as it moves in one direction or the other. The particular embodiment shown in the drawing, wherein the plates are flat and housed within a casing, is also included in my invention and will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, my invention is illus trated in connection with a lever which travels in the slot which I desire to keep closed. I

In such drawing, Figure l is a perspective view of my closure in place on a oor, and a lever pivoted below the floor and extending through the closing device; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the closing device; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan of the closing device, with the bottom plate partly broken away; Fig. 4 is a cross section.

Referring to the parts by reference numerals, 10 represents the lever, 11 a rock shaft on which it is mounted, and 12 a slotted floor through which it projects.

15 is the casing of my closure, which, in

Twhich the lever swings. To maintain these slots closed, irrespective of the position of the lever, I provide within the casing a series of superimposed overlapping plates, there being in the drawing eight of these plates, designated 31- to 38 inclusive. Each of these plates has a slot 30 through it, the width of which may conveniently be slightly greater than the width of the lever. The lengths of the slots in the superimposed plates vary, however, increasing as the length of the plate is increased, so that, as the lever moves there is an increased amount of lost motion between it and the successively longer plates, enabling such movement of the lever to gradua 1y col lect the plates. To be more explicit, with reference to the particular embodiment shown, each plate has, beyond the ends of the slot, an unslotted portion, and the un-. slotted portions of various plates are preferably about equal, and this unslotted portion is preferably also about equal to the portion of the casing beyond the end of the. slot. When the plates have one end collected at one end of the casing, as shown in Fig. 2, all the unslotted portions at that end are preferably within the casing, while the other unslotted portions overlap each other shin le-wise. The amount of this overlap is shghtly less than the length of the unslot-ted part, so that the plates make a continuous closure for the slot. The length of the slot through the uppermost plate 31 is preferably slightly greater than the fore and-aft distance across the lever, so that the plate may make a reasonably snug connection with the lever. The next plate 32 overhangs, or projects beyond, the plate 31 and has a longer slot than the slot of the plate 31,-the amount of this overhang being substantially equal to the increase in the length of the slot (or, in other words, to the loose play in the slot) of plate 32. Similarly, plate 33 overhangs plate 82 by an amount substantially equal to the increase of the length of the slot of late 33 over that of plate 32 and so on orthe other plates. Inthe drawing, the length of the slots of the successive plates are multiples of the slot through the first plate, and the overlap of each plate beyond the plate above it is substantially equal to the slot through the first plate, though these characteristics are not essential. Owing to the successive lengths of the plates, when the same end of each plate is at the same end of the casing, as shown in Fig. 2', the plates overlap, as shown. Now, owing to the increasing length of slots, when the lever is moved, it moves first the top plate only, until it has traveled through the clear space of the slot of the second plate, and then it moves both the first and the second plate until it hastaken up the rest of the slot of the third plate, when it moves concurrently the first, second and third lates, and so on. Accordingly, the operation of the lever, when it moves, is to accumulate the unslotted portions at one end of the plates above each other on the advance side of the lever and to fan out the plates on the rear side of the lever.

Itresults from the construction described that, in whichever extreme position the lever is, the slot is closed positively by the overlapping plates held by the lever at their accumulated end, within the unslottedpart of the casing and approximately against the end wall thereof, which prevents their moving materially in that direction. In any intermediate position, the slot will be closed on both sides of the lever by the plates fanned out on each side.

The weight of the plates and their friction is ordinarily sufiicient to hold them against displacement in any intermediate position. If any of them should jar out of place to leave the slot slightly open, the next operation of the lever may accumulate and restore them.

My invention is useful in a great variety of places where an arm works through a slot and itis desired to prevent passage of a draft of air, dust, dirt or other substances through the slot.

Having'thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination bf a plurality of surmounting movable shields, each of which has an opening and portions beyond the two ends of the opening, the openings in the successive shields being successively longer, and a movable member which extends through such openings.

2. The combination. with a casing having a slot through it, of a plurality of adjacent plates movably mounted within the casing, and each provided with a slot, the slots in the different plates being successively longer and the plates themselves being successively longer and extending beyond the slot at each end. r

3. The combinationof a slotted support, a series of movable plates adjacent thereto, each plate having a slot adapted to aline with the slot of the support, the various plates being successively longer and the slots in the corresponding plates being successively longer, and a. lever extending through the slots of the support and plates.

v 4. The combination, with a cover having an opening and continuous portions at the two ends of the opening, a series of slotted plates, each plate being longer than the preceding plate of the series and having a longer slot, the unslotted portions of' the plate beyond the ends of the slot being adapted ,to be accumulated under the'continuous portion of thecover.

5. The combination of a casing having-a slotted top and bottom, aseries of movable plates within the casing successively overlapping each other, and provided with slots successively overlapping each other. a movable arm projecting through the slots of the 7 various plates and the slots of the top and bottom of the casing.

6. The combination of a casing having a slotted top and bottom, a series of movable plates within the casing successively overlapping eachv other and provided with slots successively overlapping each other, and a movable arm projecting through the slots of the various plates and the slots of the top and bottom of the casing, said casing having an unslotted portion beyond the end of its slots adapted to accommodate the unslotted portions at one end of all of the plates.

7. The combination of a. casing having a top and bottom with slots through them, a series of plates within the casing surmounting each other and having a substantially snug engagement with each other and with the top and bottom of the casing, 'said plates overlapping each other successively and being provided with successive overlapping openings registering with the slots of the top and bottom wall, and an operatingarm projecting through such openings and slots.

8. The combination of a casing having a top with a slot through it, a series of plates within the casingsurmounting each other and having a substantially snug engagement with each other and with the top of the (asing, said plates overlapping each other successively and being provided with successive overlapping slots and with unslotted portions beyond the ends of the slots, said casing having beyond each end of its slot a covered portion serving to accommodate the unslotted portions of all of :the plates accumulated at that end, and an arm projecting through the registering slots.

9. The combinationbf a casing having a top and bottom with registering slots through them and having a projection by which it may be secured to a floor or wall, and a series of surmounting rectangular plates within the casing, successivelyoverlapping each other lengthwise and having slots through them which successively overap lengthwise.

10. The combination of a casing having a flat bottom and a parallel flat top spaced therefrom, there being registering slots through said top and bottom, a series of flat independent plates within the casing surmounting each other and having a substantially snug engagement with each other and with the top and bottom of the casing, said plate's overlapping each other successively and being provided with successively overlapping openings registering with the slots of the top and bottom wall, and a movable operating member projecting through such openings and slots. 3

11. A reverse lever slide, comprising a series of overlappin plates of difierent a reverse lever and ways in which the plates are longitudinally slidable.

12. A reverse lever slide, comprising a series of overlapping and independently movable plates of regularly increasing length and having longitudinal slots of like increas-' ing length ways in which the plates are independently sllda-ble, and areverse lever extending through the slots and operating to adjust the plates independently by engage ment with the ends of the respective slots therein.

13. The combination of a plurality of surmounting movable shields, each of which has an opening and portions beyond the two ends of the opening, the openings in the successive shields being successively longer, a casing in which the various shields are slidably mounted, and a lever which extends through said openings.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.-

JOHN B. JONES.

Witnesses: I

C. W. APPLEBY, W. A. MIDDLETON. 

